


3 times Eli held Demitri and 1 time Demitri held him

by Thejoysofcreativity



Category: Cobra Kai (Web Series)
Genre: 3+1 fic, M/M, hurt comfort, lots of affection
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-25
Updated: 2021-01-25
Packaged: 2021-03-17 14:47:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,352
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28976118
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Thejoysofcreativity/pseuds/Thejoysofcreativity
Summary: Eli launches forward and Demitri thinks "oh shit." Of course this is too good to be true. Did Eli just lure him away so he could attack him again?But then Eli’s arms wrap around him.Oh.
Relationships: Demetri/Eli "Hawk" Moskowitz
Comments: 12
Kudos: 129





	3 times Eli held Demitri and 1 time Demitri held him

1.

Demitri can’t believe Eli has changed sides. The fact that he did it in the middle of the fight makes Demitri even more surprised, but he knows that he’s gotta keep an open mind.

After the Cobra Kai kids slink out of the room, Demitri looks over at Eli, who looks like he’s trying very hard not to lose his shit. Once upon a time Demitri would have put a hand on his shoulder and asked what was wrong, but those days are long gone.

Miguel and Sam mumble something about cleaning up and hurriedly walk away (presumably to make out). Demitri and Eli are left standing in the dojo alone, staring at each other.

They used to spend hours talking, rambling on about anything and everything. Now, Demitri can’t bring himself to speak. He knows that if he tried he’d probably end up gawping like a fish out of water.

“Do you... wanna go somewhere and… talk?” Eli asks quietly and it’s the most nervous he’s heard his friend (is Eli still his friend? Demitri doesn’t know) in a long time.

“Yeah. There’s a park nearby. It should be empty,” Demitri replies almost automatically. It’s his best strategy when something feels awkward: talk with a neutral tone and just state facts.

Eli nods stiffly and starts walking out the dojo. Demitri stays a few steps behind,  _ just  _ in case Eli decides to turn around and attack him. (It sounds paranoid, he knows, but it’s how he feels at the moment. It makes sense after all. Every encounter he’s had with Eli in the last few months has led to bruises at least- and a broken arm at the worst.)

When they get to the park, they both kind of just stand there awkwardly for a few seconds. Demitri’s honestly not sure what to expect.

Eli clears his throat. “I’m sorry.”

Demitri raises an eyebrow.

Eli rolls his eyes.  _ “Okay,  _ I have a lot to be sorry for. I’m sorry for abandoning you, I’m sorry for being a douche, I’m sorry for beating you up at the mall, and at the school.” Eli takes a shuddering breath and looks at the ground. “I’m so  _ so sorry _ for breaking your arm.”

Eli sounds like he used to, sincere and a little afraid.

Demitri steps forward a little. “Well, I’m sorry for everything I said at the party. You trusted me and no matter how much of a douche you were being, I shouldn’t have violated your trust.” He pauses, thinking. “I’m also sorry for throwing you into that cabinet.”

The sound of Eli’s body shattering that glass would never leave him. As much as he had pretended not to be, he had been  _ so scared _ that Eli wouldn’t ever get up again.

“I forgive you,” Eli says immediately, like it’s an automatic response. “And look, most of that was pretty fair. But me? I’ve done a lot of shitty stuff, stuff I could never  _ ever  _ justify. And I swear, I’m going to spend every day trying to make up for it, if you’ll let me?”   
  


He looks so scared. Demitri just wants to wrap him up in a blanket and keep him away from everything in the world that could hurt him. Demitri knows that Eli could protect himself, but all Demitri wants in that moment to protect him.

He must have been silent for too long, because Eli starts turning away. “This was a terrible idea, I don't know what I was thinking. Of course you don’t wanna forgive me, it was stupid of me to presume."

“Eli, wait!” Demitri grabs his wrist. “I never  _ cared _ about any of the stupid karate stuff. All I cared about was the fact that you were my  _ best friend, _ then suddenly you weren’t, and all I wanted was to have you back.” Eli doesn’t move away, so Demitri continues. “All I cared about was  _ us.” _

Eli launches forward and Demitri thinks  _ oh shit. _ Of course this is too good to be true. Did Eli just lure him away so he could attack him again?

But then Eli’s arms wrap around him.

Oh.

Eli’s shoulders shake, just a little, and Demitri automatically moves his arms so his palms are on the small of Eli’s back.

“Hey, hey, it’s okay. I’m here.” Demitri rubs Eli’s back in a vague attempt to comfort him.

“I missed you,” Eli murmurs, clinging tightly to Demitri’s shoulders, like he expects Demitri to disappear any second.

Demitri breathes in and all he can smell is  _ Eli, _ the kid who he watched Doctor Who with, and who he spent almost every weekend since he was ten years old with. The only part of him that’s  _ Hawk _ is the mohawk that’s stabbing Demitri’s shoulder  _ just  _ a little. Demitri shifts just a little to get more comfortable and Eli clings to him even tighter.

“I missed you too. So  _ so _ much,” Demitri admits.

“I’ll fix this, I swear,” Eli insists. Demitri can feel Eli’s breath against his shoulder. “I’ll do anything. The mohawk? Gone. The tattoos? Gone. You want to stop karate? I’m done.  _ Anything,  _ you hear me?”

Demitri places a hand on the side of Eli’s face, tilting it up so their eyes meet. “Oh  _ Eli. _ All I want is for us to be friends again. I just want you, no matter how you are. I don’t need anything else to change, just for you to be my friend.”

And it’s the truth. Demitri doesn’t think he’s ever been more in sync with someone than he used to be with Eli. They used to be able to near-on read each other’s minds. He’s never felt like this with Eli before, out of step and exposed, not quite sure what’ll happen next.

Eli gives him a small, hopeful smile. “Really?”

Demitri can tell that Eli is trying not to hold back, and Demitri aches for the fact that his wonderful, expressive best friend has been taught not to show his emotions.

“Really. This is all I want.” Demitri keeps his hand lingering on Eli’s jaw. “It’s alright, Eli.  _ We’ll _ be alright.”

Eli nods briskly, and rests his head back on Demitri’s shoulder. “Good.”

2.

The combination of Eagle Fang and Miyagi-Do doesn't always go well. There are tensions that go unaddressed for the sake of peace, and that means that when the fragile peace snaps, both Senseis have to intervene quickly.

This particular fight was started by Bert and Nate, who are a bit like Eli and Demitri, if he thinks about it for too long.

Demitri hates himself for the fact that when the fighting starts, he takes a step away from Eli like he expects to be hurt again. He knows he shouldn’t and that Eli has promised to never hurt him again, but his mind tells him another thing.

Eli gives him a completely stricken look, but when his friend puts out a hand to comfort him, Demitri flinches. Eli drops his hand like he’s been burned.

“Sorry,” Demitri mutters almost imperceptibly, and Eli shakes his head as if to say  _ don’t worry about it. _

But Demitri  _ knows _ Eli, and he knows he’s fucked up. He knows, logically, that Eli won’t hurt him, but when he’s spent so much time regarding Eli as someone who’ll hurt him, it’s hard not to see a fight between and expect Eli to turn on him next.

“Hey! Hey!” Sensei LaRusso comes in and starts separating the boys, with Sensei Lawrence quickly following behind.

“Knock it off!” Sensei Lawrence grabs Bert, shoving him away. The two boys glare at each other from across their Sensei’s shoulders.

“Right! Everyone! Circle! Now!” Sensei LaRusso instructs. “I want everyone in Miyagi-Do sitting next to someone from Eagle Fang.”

In the rush to sit down, Demitri is separated from his best friend, and ends up next to Assface. (He hates that he doesn’t know what the other boy’s  _ actual _ name is. Like who the hell allows himself to be called  _ Assface _ for this long?) On his right is Bert, begrudgingly next to Nate.

Both Senseis sit down at the gap the students automatically make in the circle.

“Right. Clearly there’s a lot going unaddressed in this dojo. So I want you all to sit down and apologise for all the  _ crap _ you guys have pulled on each other in the time before we were united,” Sensei LaRusso informs them.

There’s a reluctant chorus of  _ yes Sensei. _

Demitri looks at Assface and draws a blank.

“Sorry for fighting you, I guess?” Assface says, so clearly he’s drawn a blank too.

“All good?” Demitri replies, immediately searching for somewhere else to look.

“Um- could I have Demitri over here please?” Eli pipes up from another part of the circle.

Demitri’s a little surprised at this, but Chris is up and ready to swap with him before he can say anything. He supposes it’s fitting, if he thinks about it for too long.

“Hey, we’ve already done this. We don’t have to do it again.” Demitri settles down next to Eli, fitting perfectly by his friend’s side.

“I know but I just- I’m never gonna  _ stop _ being sorry.” Eli looks Demitri directly in the eye, no mean feat for Eli, especially when he feels vulnerable.

“It’s okay, Eli. I’ve forgiven you, really,” Demitri reassures his friend.

“No, you don’t get it. I’m never going to forgive  _ myself _ , even if you forgive me. I can’t forgive myself because every time I lie awake at night, I hear you crying when I broke your arm. Every time I close my eyes I see your face, how hurt you were. I’d give  _ anything _ to  _ never  _ hear you cry like that again.” Eli lifts up a hand and quickly wipes at his eyes and  _ oh shit _ is Eli crying?

“It’s  _ okay _ Eli, really. I’m just happy to have you back, you know that.” Demitri places a hand (the one on the arm Eli broke) over Eli’s and he hears Eli take in a sharp breath. Demitri gathers up his courage and squeezes his friend’s hand. “It’s okay,” he says again, softer this time.

The look in Eli’s eyes is so open, so vulnerable, Demitri almost feels like it’s selfish to keep looking, but at the same time, he doesn’t want to look away. So he just gently presses their foreheads together, like they did at the park.

Then Eli does something so unexpected Demitri would never have believed that it had happened if he didn’t see it.

Eli gently brings up Demitri’s hand, still intertwined with his, and brings it to his lips. He kisses Demitri’s hand lightly, and looks up at Demitri with open, loving eyes.

(Demitri’s stupid, _ foolish  _ heart spikes with hope, and Demitri has to gather himself before he can speak.)

“Eli-” Demitri begins, but he’s interrupted by Sensei LaRusso standing up and clapping to get everyone’s attention.

“Right. Now everyone’s got all of that out of their systems, I want you to spar with your partner.”

_ Shit. _

Eli meets Demitri’s eyes hesitantly, and Demitri practically has to force himself to stand up.

“Come on,” he mutters, offering a hand to help Eli up.

All of Eli’s  _ Hawk _ bravado is gone. He holds himself tightly as they move into sparring positions on the lawn.

“Begin!” Sensei LaRusso declares.

It takes them a minute to properly get started, but when they do, it’s hard for either of them to land a strike. They both know each other well enough that they can block every punch or kick easily. They’re like a well-oiled machine; Demitri punches, Eli easily puts an arm up. Eli kicks, Demitri pushes it away.

But once the fight goes on for a while, Eli lands a blow to Demitri’s shoulder. Demitri takes in a sharp intake of breath, because it’s sparring and it hurts, though not as much as a real fight.

But Eli falters, and steps back. He stops attacking and just  _ stands _ there.

“Hawk?” Sensei LaRusso walks over, concerned.

“I can’t- I _ can’t  _ hurt him again,” Eli murmurs, face ashen and breath shaky.

“Go inside boys,” Sensei LaRusso instructs quietly, placing a hand on both of their shoulders and gently pushing them in the direction of the dojo.

Eli staggers inside, and holds himself over a garbage can like he’s going to throw up, retching. Demitri steps forward to hold back his hair until he remembers that the mohawk is doing that job for him. Demitri settles for putting a hand on his friend’s shoulder instead.

Eli must decide that he’s not going to throw up after all, because he turns around and faces Demitri.

“You okay?” Demitri asks gently.

Eli reaches forward and places his hands all over Demitri. Demitri figures that Eli must need this, that he must need to see that Demitri isn’t hurt, so he waits.

Once Eli is satisfied that Demitri isn’t hurt, he wraps his arms around Demitri and just  _ holds _ him. Eli cards his fingers through Demitri’s hair and Demitri slowly reaches up to reciprocate the hug.

“I’m okay, Eli, you didn’t hurt me. It was just sparring,” Demitri reassures him.

“I  _ can’t _ hurt you again. The thought of it-” Eli breaks off, shuddering and holding Demitri tighter.

“I know you won’t,” Demitri says softly.

Eli looks up at Demitri. “But when the fight started- you looked at me and you were  _ so scared _ and I  _ hate _ it.”

Demitri sighs. “I know, in my heart, that you won’t hurt me, Eli. It’s just- like an automatic reaction, because suddenly it feels like you’re all Cobra Kai again. And I  _ know _ you're not, but my brain just… reacts differently.”

“I won’t hurt you  _ ever  _ again.  _ I won’t,” _ Eli promises solemnly.

“I know. I trust you. My body just kinda… has to catch up with everything.” It’s at this point Demitri realises he’s shaking a little. “You’ve just gotta give it time.”

“I’ll wait.” Eli strokes Demitri’s hair and holds him tight. “As long as it takes, I’ll wait, I swear.”

3.

Demitri should have known that Cobra Kai would be back. Well, at least back this soon. He had known, obviously, that they  _ would _ be back. He had just hoped they’d have more time.

They’d been hanging out as a dojo at the mall, part of some team-bonding exercise that Sam had suggested, when their relaxed lunch had been so rudely interrupted by a “hey dipshits!”

“Seriously?” Miguel mutters next to him and Demitri is inclined to agree.

Tory emerges first, and Demitri almost automatically puts a hand across Eli (whether to protect him or hold him back, Demitri will never know). He sees Miguel reach for Sam’s hand as she takes in a sharp breath.

Soon, Kylar and the other douchebags from Cobra Kai are present, and all Demitri can notice is how vastly outnumbered they are. He notices Robby isn’t among the group, and takes comfort in that. He’s not sure how that would even go.

“Shit,” Eli says softly, and Demitri nods almost imperceptibly. (Eli will notice though, he always does.)

Miguel stands first. “We don’t need any trouble. We’re just hanging out. No one has to get hurt.”

“Too bad,” Tory hisses, and throws the first punch.

Demitri meets Eli’s eyes as they stand up, and the two of them immediately go back to back.

Somehow, among the fight, the pair get split apart from the others. Demitri honestly has no idea where they are except for the fact it’s an alleyway. The thought that kids could so blatantly fight out in the open and no one would notice makes Demitri curse his stupid town for the thousandth time.

Behind him, a few steps away, Eli is grunting with effort as he tries to knock their attackers out. Demitri knows he won’t do any real damage, not when he’s trying so hard to be a better person. What scares him is the fact that the Cobras will have absolutely no qualms doing the same thing.

Demitri steals a glance over to his dearest friend to check if he needs help. Eli’s trying to hold his own against his two attackers. He looks stressed, but he seems to be holding his own, until Kylar, that bastard, comes up behind him.

“Eli- behind you!” Demitri calls out quickly, and his friend manages to block the strike with a well-aimed kick.

Demitri, however, isn’t so lucky. His warning to Eli means he’s taken his eye off his opponent for a second, and he feels a hit to his head.

Demitri sees stars, and tries to keep other blows away. But it’s all for nothing, because Demitri’s dizziness means he can’t fight as well, and his enemies don’t care that he’s swaying where he stands.

“You okay?” Eli calls out (from where, Demitri has no clue).

“Fine, keep going!” Demitri lies easily.

Demitri does his best to stay on his feet, but he can't keep blocking every strike, and one to the head makes him drop to the ground.

The blows don’t stop, because obviously his enemies don’t care that he’s down.

“Demitri!” Eli shouts frantically. “Demitri, stay awake. Keep fighting!  _ Please.” _ Eli sounds terrified, more terrified than Demitri’s ever heard him before.

Demitri feels himself slipping in and out of consciousness, and his eyes feel so heavy. Demitri places his hands over his head and closes his eyes. In the fog of unconsciousness, he hears Eli frantically,  _ desperately _ calling his name, begging him to stay awake.

He’s not sure what happens next. Just all of a sudden, the blows stop, and Demitri hears quickly receding footsteps.

He feels a set of arms wrap around him. Eli’s breath is warm against his shoulder, and even though Demitri’s limp as a ragdoll, Eli is still clinging to him like nothing else in the world matters.

“Demitri, wake up.  _ Please _ wake up. I love you, I love you, please  _ please _ wake up.”

And well, it is a universal truth that Demitri has always been, and always will be irrevocably, foolishly, and  _ overwhelmingly  _ in love with Eli.

Demitri forces his eyes open, Eli’s worried face filling his vision. “You love me too?” He asks softly.

Eli exhales sharply, and  _ laughs, _ his whole face lighting up _. _ “Yeah, yeah I do. I love you so damn much. I’ll tell you every damn day if you’ll let me, but you’ve gotta stay awake for me now, okay?”

“Demitri!” Sam’s voice rings out and in the corner of his eye, Demitri can see Miguel.

“Call an ambulance,” Eli says to their friends, but he doesn’t let go of Demitri.

Demitri hears Miguel’s frantic voice on the phone, but all he wants to do is rest his head on Eli’s shoulder and go to sleep. He attempts this but Eli pulls his head back, shaking his head.

“No, you’ve gotta stay awake for me, okay? Sleep is the enemy right now.” Eli’s voice is teasing but his face is so clearly worried that Demitri tries to reach up to comfort him. Unfortunately, he’s definitely hurt his arm because he gets his hand about a quarter of the way before hissing in pain.

“Hey, it’s okay.” Eli wraps Demitri’s hand in his own. “You’re gonna be okay.”

And, despite the concussion and dislocated shoulder, he is.

+1

Being with Eli is all Demitri’s ever wanted. It feels like he’s finally whole; a wonderful feeling compared to the  _ ache _ of the last year.

Eli looks at him like Demitri is all he’s ever wanted. Demitri always tries to show him that the feeling is mutual.

It’s not to say, of course, that their relationship doesn’t attract some comments. It’s not that they’re both guys, not at all, but the fact that to the world they’re Hawk and Demitri, and Hawk hadn’t been kind to him in the months before they finally fixed things.

Occasionally, people make thoughtless comments that send Eli spiraling into self-hatred.

Today, it’s Chris, who really does mean it from a place of concern.

“Demitri, are you really sure that Scarface over there is a good choice? I mean, the dude broke your arm for god’s sake, how can you be sure he won’t hurt you again?” Chris glances over at Eli, who’s talking with Bert and Nate.

Demitri can tell that Eli’s heard them by the way he stills, fists clenching by his side, his entire body tensing. Demitri’s heart sinks, knowing that this is exactly what Eli expects him to think, knowing just how  _ scared _ Eli is of hurting Demitri.

When Eli starts walking away, Demitri panics.

“I’ll be fine. We’re happy, we really are, and I trust Eli with my life,” Demitri explains, then bolts after Eli.

Eli is sprinting down the street, and Demitri figures out he’s running towards the park where the two of them had reconciled. 

It’s not that far, so Demitri figures he can probably just run until Eli stops, and his hypothesis is proved correct when Eli stops at the park, breathing heavily.

“Eli-” Demitri begins, reaching out a hand to his boyfriend, who freezes when he sees Demitri.

“No! Stay away from me! He’s right, I’m just going to hurt you again, you can’t trust me.” Eli pulls at his hair, which is down today. His boyfriend is gasping for air, and curled in on himself like he’s holding himself together by a thread.

_ Ah,  _ a panic attack then. Eli had got them back before, well, everything, and it was pretty clear that Eli’s freakout when they had to spar was one too, though Demitri had dismissed it as emotions running high. He kicks himself now for not seeing it before.

“Why didn’t you tell me you were getting panic attacks again?” Demitri asks gently.

Eli shakes his head, not looking at Demitri. “Don’t you get it? I’m dangerous!”

“Eli.” Demitri takes a few steps forward, and when Eli doesn’t move it away, he takes it as a good sign. “I trust you, Eli. I trust you with my life, and-” Demitri reaches out, taking Eli’s hand and placing it over his chest “- my heart.”

Eli lets out a small sob and Demitri pulls his boyfriend close. When Demitri wraps his arms around him, Eli’s knees buckle and the two gently sink to the grass, Demitri guiding them so they don’t fall. 

“You’re okay. We’re okay.” Demitri runs his hands through Eli’s hair comfortingly as Eli cries, his breathing still ragged. The panic attack is clearly nowhere near over, and Demitri knows that they just have to wait it out.

“I’m so sorry,” Eli whispers, voice hoarse.

“You have nothing to be sorry for, you know that. Everything you’ve done, I’ve forgiven already,” Demitri reassures him firmly.

At this, Eli lets out another sob and Demitri holds him tighter. He knows that Eli will be telling himself that he’s a bad person, and reinforcing in his head all that bullshit that people tell him.

“Hey, listen to me.” Demitri tilts Eli’s head up so their eyes meet, but he doesn’t force it. “You are a  _ good  _ person.  _ Sure  _ you did some shitty things, but you’re  _ not  _ a bad person. You’re trying to be better and I love you for it.”

“I don’t- I don’t understand how you can love me after everything.” Eli looks down at the ground and Demitri strokes his hair.

Demitri shushes him gently. “Sshh, don’t be ridiculous. I love you because you’re  _ you. _ You’re the guy who’s been by my side since we were kids, who I watched Doctor Who and learned to play Magic: The Gathering with. You’re the best friend I’ve ever had and the strongest person I know. Anyone who  _ doesn’t _ love you is crazy, in my opinion.”

Eli shakes his head rapidly. “But I- I hurt you  _ so much. _ How could you ever trust me again?”

“Because you’re all I’ve ever needed, Eli. I know you like I know the beat of my heart.” Demitri places his hand over Eli’s and brings it back to his chest. “Sure it can be erratic, or unpredictable when it's anxious, but I know it’s always going to be there. And I know  _ you’re  _ always going to be there,” he says, then kisses Eli firmly. “I know you.”

Eli rakes his hands through Demitri’s hair like Demitri is the only thing that matters. And to a degree, it’s true. All Eli has focused on lately is him and Demitri, and making Demitri happy.

“You comfort me,” Demitri whispers between kisses. “You make me strong.” Another kiss. “You taught me to endure, and to trust that things will work out in the end.” Demitri presses a desperate kiss to Eli’s lips. “So I’m asking you to trust me-”

“I do!” Eli exclaims quickly. “Of course I do. I trust you more than anything, I trust you with my life.”

Demitri shakes his head. “I mean trust me that I’m not gonna leave you.”

Eli looks down, pressing a kiss to Demitri’s jaw. “You know that’s not about you.” Another kiss on his neck and Demitri has to suppress a gasp. “It’s about the fact that some days I can barely look at myself in the mirror. I can’t believe you’d ever let me near you again, let alone  _ love  _ me.”

“But I  _ do, _ Eli. And surely, if I can love you after all this, you can trust that I don’t think badly of you?” Demitri asks desperately.

Eli screws his eyes shut, and his sobs turn into shuddering breaths. Demitri just holds him tight, whispering sweet nothings until they become something.

“Okay,” Eli says eventually. He presses another kiss to Demitri’s lips. “Thank you.”

“This is what I’m here for. I’m your boyfriend, remember?” Demitri puts his hand on the side of Eli’s face.

“You're my boyfriend,” Eli replies with a goofy expression on his face.

“Yeah, I am.” Demitri kisses Eli deeply, and relishes how close they are.

“I love you,” Eli murmurs, still smiling.

“I love you too,” Demitri replies.

How they’ve come this far, Demitri has no clue, but he’s so  _ so _ glad they’re here.


End file.
